MoYou London Stamping Challenge: Red

Today's prompt was "Red" which leaves an infinite number of possibilities! I decided to keep it pretty simple and just used one stamp from the Princess Collection.

I started with two coats of OPI Glints of Glinda which is just a sheer nude. I then used Nicole by OPI Boys'n'Berry to do the stamping. I topped it off with a french using a Zoya red (I think it was Carrieann).

Add some rhinestones (because who doesn't love a bit of bling) and call it a day!

Happy painting friends!

MoYou London Stamping Challenge: London

I bought the London version of MoYou's Tourist Collection (plate 05) for a few reasons. 1) My husband is from England 2) I lived in England for three years 3) it's super cool!

Boy did it come in handy for today's look!! The prompt was London for today's stamping challenge and of course I had to use this plate!

I really dig how this turned out but holy cow was it a struggle! I redid the red finger about five times. It started as a London bus (but my finger wasn't big enough), then it was "keep calm and carry on" (but I kept smushing the words too much and after three attempts I had enough) and finally I chose the Tube map. I liked how the routes extended onto my finger so I didn't clean that part up.

I wanted to come up with something more innovative than what I did but I've had a headache all day so of course nothing was cooperating!

Happy painting friends!

MoYou London Stamping Challenge: Animal Print

I've started another challenge! This one is involving my wonderful MoYou stamping plates and has a different theme for each day of May. MoYou itself is running the challenge and the prize is 6 new stamping plates!

I missed the first two days as I didn't know it was going on but I will hopefully be able to do most days now.

Yesterday's theme was animal print. I don't have any traditional "animal print" stamps (like leopard, zebra, etc) so I decided to pick my ladybug one from the Princess Collection (plate 14)

I started with an unnamed Color Club red and then added the black dots with a dotting tool and Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black Out. I then stamped on the ladybugs with the same black polish. I think it looks so cute!

This challenge is taking place on Instagram and you can see all the looks if you search under #moyou10k. You can also follow me @thenailglossary.

My pics on Instagram are not the best as I'm using my phone and I know there must be a way to upload photos you take with a better camera but I haven't figured that out yet. (If anyone has any tips, I'd love to hear them!!)

Stay tuned for more stamping days.

Happy painting friends!

Hearts-Valentine's Week Challenge

I had an epic fail with the first manicure I tried to do with this theme. I think it'll make my blooper reel at the end of the year!

Day 4- Hearts

What says Valentine's Day more than Hearts? There are so many beautiful things you can do around this theme and I must admit I was overwhelmed with choices. I finally settled on doing a lace effect with hearts in the center.

I started with one coat of deborah lippmann Run Run Rudolph which is officially my new favourite red. It goes on so beautifully and it's only one coat! J'adore!!

I then went in with a black nail pen and did the lace detail. I did a similar design in white and blue which you can view in my Blasts from the Past post.

with matte top coat

It's not as clean as I would like it to be but I felt a little rushed with this one.

Tomorrow is freestyle or recreate someone else's look. Again, I haven't even started this one! ARGHH, I should have planned a little better.

Happy painting friends!

An InLinkz Link-up

Roses-Valentine's Week Challenge

This was possibly my favourite prompt! I knew right away what I wanted to do and couldn't wait to get started on it. It took me awhile to choose my base but I absolutely love how these came out and I think they would be appropriate year round!

Day 3- Roses

I decided that I was going to do something fairly simple but elegant and what says elegant but a French manicure?

I started with a base of three coats of Zoya Jacqueline (cream) and then painted one coat of Orly Goin' to the Chapel over it which gave it a really pretty soft pearlescent look.

I then went in with deborah lippmann Run, run Rudolph (which is technically a Christmas shade I guess) and blobbed on the rose shapes. I love love love this red!

I added in the rose details with a black nail pen and then the leaves are made from piCture pOlish Jealousy. I added Glisten and Glow Top Coat, a bit of bling (rhinestone stickers I got from Michael's) and then called it a day.

I'm in "love"! It turned out exactly how I was hoping, simple and elegant.

Tomorrow's prompt is Hearts and as I write this I haven't completed my look yet. I need some inspiration!!

Happy painting friends!

An InLinkz Link-up

Nude Leopard

I just can't get enough of the leopard print! It's so easy to do and I think it looks so fun. I started with a base of Zoya Jacqueline which is just a beautiful smooth nude colour. I then went in with a black and red nail pen and added the leopard and stripe detail.

I of course used my trusty new light box to take my photos.

The flash didn't really want to come out to play and I kind of wish I had forced it because these are looking a bit shaded.

Still getting used to the light box but I think with practice I'll get some really good photos.

Happy painting friends!

Winter Roses

Now that we are past Christmas I thought I would move on to some winter nail art. I got so many new polishes for Christmas and I've enjoyed experimenting with them. I achieved this look by starting with a base of a England King Arthur (two coats). I'm so glad I got an a England! I've been dying to try them and I have more on the way. King Arthur is a really beautiful dark grey and I thought it'd be a great base for this look.

Inside lighting

Natural lighting

I then used OPI Die Another Day to make the roses. I just used the corner of the brush and dabbed on some roundish blobs.

I then went in with a pale/nude nail pen and gave the roses their accents and used a green nail pen to do the leaves. I finished the design with silver dots put on with a silver nail pen.

I really like the a England I got and I can't wait to try out more of them! This design is good because it's fairly simple to do and you can do it on both hands without too much trouble.

I did a rosette tutorial as one of my first posts but I may have to redo it and add some better pics.

Happy painting friends!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

Well tomorrow is the night that Santa finally comes and so of course I had to do some Santa nail art. I actually did these a while ago but I knew I wanted to post them closer to Christmas day.

I started with two coats of Zoya Delilah and then painted on the Santa suit details using nail pens.

Although I'm only posting my left hand, I did do the design on both hands. It's just so hard to take pictures of my right hand!

I love how Christmassy this design is and I ended up wearing it for a few days I liked it so much!

Happy painting friends!

Christmas Glitter Polka Dots

I wanted to do something a bit glam for the season and since I've been trying to do both hands (as only one hand done is weird when you're in public) I needed something that was reasonably easy. Dotting is a beautiful pattern and rather easy to do on both hands.

I started with a base of Sally Hansen Diamonds which is a beautiful gold shimmer. I then went in with my dotting tools and did various sizes of Zoya Delilah (red), Tomoko (gold) and an unnamed Color Club green.

These pictures are of my ever elusive right hand! Let me tell you how hard it is to take pictures using your left hand. I need to practice apparently.

Happy painting friends!

Putting Presents Under the Tree

Of course I needed to do some presents! Christmas for me is all about family but I must admit that I do get excited about all those fancy wrapped packages under the tree :)

I started with a base of Sephora by OPI Curve-aceous (gotta love that red!) and then added in all the accents (bows, ribbon, tree, star) using nail pens.

I think these are pretty but I don't know that they are super "original" and they are very plain compared to what my mom does with her wrapping.

Next year when I do present nail art I will have to make them all different.

Happy painting friends!

Christmas Leopard

I love me some leopard and so of course I had to do some Christmas themed ones! I stared with a base of Sephora by OPI Curve-aceous (red) and Nails Inc. Bruton Mews on the accent nail.

I then dabbed on the opposite colour for the leopard spots. The above picture is taken in front of my Christmas tree :)

I then used a copper nail pen and outlined the spots.

Here are some pics outdoors:

This may be one of my favourite leopards! I love how versatile animal prints are. I think this would look good with a gold stud at the base of the nail.

Happy painting friends!

Santa Hats

This really cool image has been floating around the internet so I thought I would duplicate it on my nails. I'm not sure where the original idea came from but it's so cute! (EDIT: Just found out the original idea came from a very talented Youtuber named keshiaLilly, click on her name to be taken to her tutorial video. I did mine a bit differently as I used nail pens but the effect is the same.)

This look is actually reasonably easy to achieve. I started with Sally Hansen Diamonds and then added a Sephora by OPI red called Curve-aceous. I then did the black and white details with nail art pens.

I love these and have gotten lots of positive feedback about them. Unfortunately you can see a bit of the stain that remains on my nail from a previous nail polish. You can't see it so well in person but it's much more noticeable in the photos. Just shows you that you need to have a really good base coat! I had one on at the time it was stained but it wasn't "strong" enough. Yikes!

Happy painting friends!

A Little Bit Holly

Being back at work has sure made me behind in blogging! I have definitely not been on top of it like I usually am but I still haven't missed a day! I wanted to do some nail art for my friend Holly and what better to do than some holly :)

I started with a base of Orly Moonlit Madness (red) and then did a diagonal stripe of Zoya Tomoko (gold). I then took the Orly and dotted on the berries followed by putting the leaves and gold accents on with nail pens.

I really like how these turned out but they weren't what I pictured in my mind lol. Isn't that always the way?

Apparently I applied the top coat (Seche Vite) rather poorly as I had uneven lines near the cuticle. Oh well, it's a learning process!

Happy painting friends!

What Says Christmas More than Green and Red?

Today I have used China Glaze Outta Bounds and OPI Magazine Cover Mouse to do a stripe design. I was going to incorporate some gold as well but it didn't really work out.

I think it's such a Christmas combination! It reminds me of gift wrap.

The only thing I wish is that my lines were a bit more even; it would make the look cleaner. But overall I think this is a simple (ish) Christmas design. I like the contrast of the shiny green and textured red as well.

Happy painting friends!

Rocking Around the Christmas Tree

I think that we are going to get our Christmas tree this weekend which I am beyond excited for! We usually go to Ikea of all places but they have nice trees and we usually get some chocolate biscuits from their food section and then fight (not really!) over which Christmas music to play. It's our own little tradition :)

I started with a base of Orly White Out (2 coats) and then put two coats of a silver glitter on my pinkie and thumb. 

Then I went in with my trusty nail pens and drew on the ornaments and tree. I added a silver star to the top of the tree and called it a day.

I really like the cleanness of this design. It's not too busy.

Now bring on the chocolate biscuits and tree trimming!

Happy painting friends!

Tis the Season!

It's December and you know what that means...Christmas nail art is upon us! I'm not saying that I'm going to do holiday themed nail art every day but I'm also not promising that I won't. Christmas is my favourite time of the year and I'm so excited to do some cool designs. I'm pretty pumped about today's look. I saw something similar to this on a blog and for the life of me I can't remember which one (wish I could so I could give credit where credit is due!).

I used a base of Zoya Tomoko (which you know I love!) and then drew on the holly leaves with a green nail pen and the berries with Orly Moonlit Madness and a dotting tool.

I think this turned out so well! The holly is pretty simple design-wise but I think it looks amazing when paired with the gold textured polish. So festive!!!!

I absolutely did not want to take this off of my fingers!

Happy painting friends!

Happy Thanksgiving My American Friends

Today is Thanksgiving in the USA so I thought I would give a shout out to my American friends and do some nail art for the holiday. Thanksgiving here in Canada is in October but the majority of the shows we watch are American so we get inundated with Thanksgiving images around now. I decided to do something that we consider goes hand in hand with the holiday...turkey!

I started with a base of a glittery brown from Kozmic Colours and then painted on the turkey using a nail art pen and Rimmel Sunny Days and Golden Hour and No. 7 Salsa for the feathers.
On my thumb and pinkie I did an accent of a gold glitter from Color Club.

He's so cute! But the funny thing is that I'm mostly vegan so turkey is not on my dinner plate. I choose to believe that this turkey survived :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy painting friends!

I'm in Love!

Well it's official, I'm in love with Zoya nail polish. I've wanted to get some Zoyas for awhile now but they aren't sold in stores and even thought the reviews had been really good I usually like to try out a polish before buying it. There was a huge sale online however and so I picked up 6 polishes. It only took the first polish to know I was hooked! Over the next several days I'm going to feature a different polish each day with some nail art.

Today's polish is the first one I grabbed, Zoya Delilah. It is an absolutely beautiful red with a gorgeous glitter.

This is two coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat. I couldn't stop looking at it! It reminds me of Dorothy's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz.

I wish I had taken a pic of this in the sunshine so you could see it in all its sparkly glory!

With every Zoya polish I'm going to feature, I also want to add some nail art. I thought some black roses would look very classy with this polish.

I used one of my black nail pens to draw in the rosettes.

I did not want to take this polish off! It's just so pretty; definitely something I will be using a lot in the future.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the next Zoya polish!

Happy painting friends!